Minor league baseball, hockey teams seeking covid-19 reliefVideo
WASHINGTON — Laying off 17 people in the Charlotte Checkers front office of 25 felt like gutting a team for chief operating officer Tera Black. “The front office is a team just as much as the team on the ice,” she said. “We never want to go through that again.”...
‘Slap Shot’ organist finds new career with expansion Kraken
SEATTLE — It started with an unsolicited email that landed in the inbox of the game presentation executives for the Seattle Kraken. The name Rod Masters didn’t immediately resonate with Jonny Greco and Lamont Buford, who are in charge of overseeing entertainment and game production for the expansion franchise, though...
Chicago Blackhawks drop interim tag for GM Kyle Davidson
CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks hired Kyle Davidson as general manager on Tuesday, dropping his interim tag instead of going outside the floundering franchise for new leadership. Davidson has been with the Blackhawks since he joined the organization as a hockey operations intern in 2010. The 33-year-old from Sudbury, Ontario,...
First Call: Steelers GM candidate has deep local roots; mixed bag of a day for Penguins in Metro
Monday’s “First Call” reveals some deep local roots for one of the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager candidates. The Steelers are represented well on a list of HBCU all-timers. It was a busy day in the Metropolitan Division beyond the Penguins game in Columbus. Duquesne is sticking with Keith Dambrot, and...
Nashville ready for NHL Stadium Series debut vs. Tampa BayVideo
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The NHL always knew it would hold an outdoor game in Music City. It was just a question of timing. The Nashville Predators are hosting the reigning Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night at Nissan Stadium, home to the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, as part...
New Jersey Devils get 3 players back in return from break
NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils are returning from an eight-day break refreshed and as healthy as they have been in a while. When Lindy Ruff’s struggling young team faces the Penguins on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, $63 million defenseman Dougie Hamilton is going to be back in the...
First Call: NFL Scouting Combine ‘bubble boycott’ avoided; former Steelers QB cut in CFL; Penguins get no help from Flyers
Tuesday’s “First Call” has an update on that planned boycott of the NFL Scouting Combine. A former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback couldn’t cut it in the CFL. Troy Polamalu’s uncle gets a new gig coaching in the NFL. The Flyers can’t give the Penguins an assist. And one of Duquesne’s women’s...
Leafs, Raptors owner to discontinue fan proof of covid vaccinationVideo
TORONTO — Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment said Friday it will discontinue the proof of vaccination requirement for fans entering its venues, beginning March 1. MLSE owns the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, NBA’s Toronto Raptors, Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC and the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts. The move follows...
Eichel to make debut for Golden Knights on WednesdayVideo
LAS VEGAS — Jack Eichel will make his debut with the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, playing for the first time since being acquired from Buffalo and since he became the first NHL player to undergo artificial disk replacement surgery on his neck in November. “I’m sure there will be...
First Call: Predicting Diontae Johnson’s new contract; Ben Roethlisberger’s Steelers gear heads to Hall of Fame
Friday’s “First Call” has a prediction for what the Pittsburgh Steelers might have to pay Diontae Johnson. Ben Roethlisberger’s gear is getting into the Hall of Fame before he is. The Penguins are still stuck in second place despite their win on Thursday night. And Pittsburgh’s struggling college hoops teams...
Struggling Edmonton Oilers fire coach Dave Tippett
EDMONTON, Alberta — The struggling Edmonton Oilers have fired coach Dave Tippett. Tippett will be replaced by Jay Woodcroft, the head coach of the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield, California. After beginning the season 16-5-0, the Oilers have gone 7-13-3 in a head-scratching performance for a team led by stars...
Canucks hire Cammi Granato as an assistant general manager
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Vancouver Canucks have named Hall of Famer Cammi Granato as an assistant general manager, the team announced Thursday. Granato, 50, moves to the Canucks from the Seattle Kraken, where she has served as a scout since 2019. “We wish Cammi the best and thank her...
First Call: More Steelers GM names to track; Malik Willis hype grows; NFL games in Germany; Fleury shines; Kessel scores
Thursday’s “First Call” introduces us to a few more candidates in the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager black book. More hype about the Steelers and a potential first-round quarterback. The NFL is heading to Germany. And three ex-Penguins flash out West. Keep ’em coming Add two more names to the Steelers...
Bruins goalie Rask ending comeback, announces retirementVideo
BOSTON — The winningest goaltender in Boston Bruins history is calling it a career. Citing an inability of his body to respond after his recent return to the ice following offseason hip surgery, Tuukka Rask announced his retirement from NHL on Wednesday. “Today is a day that I hoped would...
Canadiens fire Ducharme, hire Martin St. Louis as interim coach
MONTREAL — The Montreal Canadiens fired coach Dominique Ducharme on Wednesday and made Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis the interim coach of the team with the NHL’s worst record. Ducharme was dismissed after Montreal began its season with a dismal 8-30-7 record for a league-worst 23 points. The 48-year-old’s...
First Call: Rob Gronkowski may want to play with Joe Burrow; T.J. Watt could sail to NFL Defensive Player of the Year
Wednesday’s “First Call” has some alarming news for Pittsburgh Steelers fans regarding what Rob Gronkowski is thinking. T.J. Watt should have smooth sailing toward NFL Defensive Player of the Year. An ex-Steeler gets an NFL head coaching contract extension. And the Penguins got a little help from their upcoming opponent....
Tim Benz: Lots of theories for bad Olympic TV ratings — some problems may be beyond repair
Television ratings for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing are off to a hideous start. According to Variety, “NBC Sports says 16 million viewers tuned in to watch the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony across multiple platforms on Friday, a new record low for the event since NBCUniversal began...
First Call: Odd-couple highlights for T.J. Watt, Jake Guentzel; Steelers listed atop ‘best fits’ for Jimmy Garoppolo
The Pittsburgh Steelers are listed as a leading landing spot for a high-profile quarterback that could be on the move. Chase Claypool is floated as a potential NFL trade chip. A pair of former Penguins are hearing similar chatter about their names in the NHL. And some strange scoring connections...
Giroux named MVP, Metropolitan team wins NHL All-Star GameVideo
LAS VEGAS — Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux scored three goals, and the Metropolitan Division beat the Central Division, 5-3, on Saturday in the final 3-on-3 match to win the NHL All-Star Game. New Jersey’s Jack Hughes, at 20 the youngest All-Star, also scored three goals for the Metropolitan team in...
Victor Hedman, Jordan Kyrou, Sebastian Aho win big in NHL All-Star skills competitionVideo
LAS VEGAS — Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman won the Hardest Shot competition and St. Louis’ Jordan Kyrou was the Fastest Skater during an NHL All-Star skills competition with a distinct Vegas flavor Friday night. Carolina’s Sebastian Aho won the Accuracy Shooting contest at T-Mobile Arena on a night when the...
NHL All-Stars sad to miss Olympics, but happy to be in Vegas
LAS VEGAS — Most of the world’s best hockey players are spending this weekend in opulent hotel suites in one of the planet’s top party towns instead of being confined to modest Olympic accommodations in freezing-cold Beijing. The NHL All-Stars still aren’t happy about missing their chance to compete for...
Kraken endure rocky path in 1st half of expansion seasonVideo
SEATTLE — If there was a single game that served as a snapshot of how the Seattle Kraken wanted their inaugural season to look, it came on the night of Jan. 23. The home arena was rocking during a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers, at the time the best...
With both coaches in place, Robert Morris men’s and women’s hockey can focus on rebuilding rosters
For the recently reinstated Robert Morris University ice hockey programs, maybe these were the last of the first steps toward a return to the ice. With two head coaches now entrenched, the big strides toward rebuilding can truly begin. Both programs were cut by the university in May 2021. But...
Blackhawks owner on Kyle Beach: ‘Not going to talk about anything’
CHICAGO — Speaking Wednesday night at a town hall organized by the team, Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz angrily rejected any conversation connected to the franchise’s response when a player said he was sexually assaulted by an assistant coach. It was the first time the franchise’s top leaders had faced...
Coronation: Rangers retire Henrik Lundqvist’s No. 30 in ceremony
The King has taken his throne in the rafters at Madison Square Garden. Henrik Lundqvist became the 11th player to have his number retired by the New York Rangers when a banner with his name and No. 30 was raised at the Garden before the team’s game against the Minnesota...
